A place to discuss sexual purity, skepticism about science, the gospel of Jesus Christ, God's place in the World, how to parent, marriage success, great books by authors like Ted Dekker, Dr. James Dobson, Randy Alcorn, Bill Bright, and Tim LaHaye. Political discussions about role of politics in a Christ follower's life.

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

How Are You Doing in the Asking Part of Your Prayer Life?

Here comes my biggest confession of
all. I am “the Beave.” I was a toe head, blue eyed, bright smiled
kid who grew up under Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy. We cured polio,
were the greatest nation on earth, and decided to send a man to the moon.

My personal life was also inordinately
blessed. No major crises until my 30’s. I
enjoyed plenty of love, family, solid direction, and Christ at the center.
But there was also an underlying theme of the time that was a big part of
who I was and am. “You can be anything you want to be. You can be
President of the United States. You can … you can … you can!” I
believed it and I lived it. I won’t bore you with the details. You
can find it all online. But just the fact that I’m writing on this
subject, and believe that I have the ability to write a book or something
important enough to say clearly comes from that upbringing.

The result for me, and I suspect many
like me who grew up in that era, is that if I can do it all, why do I need
anyone else, even God, to help? While the baby boomer mantra described
here might be a unique moment in history, it is not so unique. There are plenty
of Christians before and after the Boomers who believe it. And there are
plenty in Russia, Europe, and Asia who believe it, too.

Do you really believe God? Do you trust Him fully?

This is part of the 7th chapter in a book that has been created here on this blog. The
book will be available on Amazon.com April 26 under the title God
Called - He Needs Your Decision! This will be the Kindle edition. The
print edition will follow approximately May 15, and the audio is slated
for availability around June 1.

The
rest of this chapter was available free for almost a year, but has now
been removed. It is my hope that you will truly enjoy the book and that
it will bless you. Some have already reported their thoughts about the
book. Early readers report below.

Serious Disciples of Jesus should read God Called - He Needs Your Decision! because, according to one reviewer:

If
a baby were born and failed to thrive, the family would rightly
consider it a great tragedy. When a Christian is born and fails to
thrive, however, many people don’t notice. God Called—He Needs Your
Decision! by Randy Kirk is an invitation to Christians to thrive. It is a
spiritual counterattack to the widespread misconception that “being” a
Christian is a passive state. Randy invites Christians to “do”
Christianity. Katherine Harms, Editor

Are you ready to ratchet up your devotion to God and Jesus to the next level?God Called - He Needs Your Decision! is perfect for you

Do you sometimes feel stuck in your walk and desire to be of greater service?God Called was written for Christians just like you

Are you the first to sign up for any seminar that teaches how to find out God’s will for your life?The pathway to that answer for you is one click away.

God Called is not for the lukewarm - UNLESS you are ready to repent of being lukewarm

God Called is not for the prodigal - UNLESS you are tired of eating with the pigs

God Called is not for pew dusters - UNLESS you are prepared to step outside your comfort zoneHere’s what others are saying:

Even as a Pastor sometimes we can lose focus on what it really is to be a true disciple of Christ.

I would recommend it to any Pastor or leader of a churchGreat Stuff!

Robert HillCore Church Los Angeles

Just
reading the first few pages, God spoke a quick word to me, setting me
free from years of bondage to what people will think of me if I follow
Jesus full out. Using Randy's simple steps of faith, this is a must-read
for your next step in growing in grace.

Cheryl Colwell author The Secrets of Montebellis and The Proof

The Psalmist tells us that deep calls unto deep . . . Take the plunge intothe
River of Life with Randy Kirk's newest book, God Called—He Needs Your
Decision! and drink deep from the well that never runs dry. Find keys
to intimacy with Father, Son, and HolySpirit hidden in plain sight. Come away refreshed and longing for more of Him.

Michael J. Webb, Bestselling Author of The Master's Quilt

God
Called was written specifically for mature Christians who feel they
have not really heard the Lord speak to them. These Christians truly
want to hear the voice of God calling to them with an offer to serve in a
capacity that is outside of their expectations.

Review these questions which might be holding you back from hearing God’s plan for your life:

Jesus says disciples need to carry their cross and follow Him. Can you do that?Jesus said that disciples must hate mother and father (compared to Him) Is that you?Jesus said that disciples must obey what he has commanded. Do you?Jesus said that disciples must give up everything. Are you prepared to do so?Dallas Willard says “very few Christians want to hear what God has to say. Do you?

Here’s
a sample of the impactful words from God Called that have encouraged
readers to take their Christianity to the next level:

Our
Christian walk is always about how much we trust and believe, and
whether we trust God enough to put aside our fear. Each stage of our
maturing in Christ depends on our ability to repent of our unbelief, or
pride, and our idols, and move to the next stage. This is true from our
first profession of faith. It is true when we start each new discipline.
It is true when we become aware of the depths of our sin and mindful of
our need to be continually repenting. It is true when we become willing
to be completely dependent on and open with God—intimate with Him. Then
we must repent of our unbelief again if we are to fully surrender to a
calling.

Don’t put off your decision to move closer to God and
hear His voice. Get your copy of God Called - He Needs Your Decision!
today and get started on a journey that will lead to a fully surrendered
life.

Monday, June 24, 2013

We All Face the Dilemma. Saved Doesn't Mean Sin Free. But What About Rebellious?

I told a big fat whopper the other day. That is all you need to know. Due to the circumstances, I would tell that same whopper again. So, my conscience is bothering me. I want to do what is pleasing to God, but in this particular case I want to do what is going to help a friend.

The whole thing takes me back to the '60's and the introduction of situation ethics to the debate within the liberal arm of the church. I wasn't a fan of it then and am not a fan of situation ethics now. But, I'm smack dab in the middle of practicing it. The issue seems simple on the one hand. No one will be harmed. Someone will be helped. But is it that simple. My witness to those who know about the sin will be harmed.

I discussed this with a group the other day. We all agreed that whether the sin might be lying, gossip, envy, anger, failure to forgive, theft, or some form of sexual sin, each of us is still going to sin. Our sin could even be failure to trust God or pride. Or how about this one. We don't want to forgive someone, because they don't deserve it, or because we actually like the feeling of resentment we are carrying around.

So, as the group discussed it, we all came to the same conclusion at about the same time. Not only was the issue one that pointed out how impossible it is for us to conform to what we know we should do, but it also was a very solid lesson in being very careful how we view the sins of others.

We all know the parable of the fellow who needed to take the plank out of his own eye so that he could see well enough to remove the speck from his friends eye. We get that concept at a surface level when we here it. However, the extra element in this situation, not being willing to repent, and being clear that I would repeat the same behavior in the same circumstance, seemed to drive the point home to those of us in the group. Am I, or you, any different than some others around us who seem very rebellious, but maybe in a more obvious sin.

So we might look at the person who is drinking too much. Maybe not an alcoholic, but drinking to the point of being drunk, even though they claim to be a Christian. The have no inclination to stop. W could have the same argument about someone who is grossly overweight, or someone that has serious anger management problems.

My sense until this new understanding would be: they need to be repenting and working on changing their behavior, or they might need to question their salvation. Now I wonder aloud, don't we all have some part of our sin nature that we are too rebellious to even try to change?

Love to hear your input on that first question.

Then we can add this. Even though I said I would do the sin again in the same circumstance, I was still burdoned by my choice and my failure to repent or even be willing to repent. If I had not been burdoned by my position, would that create a question of my being saved or not.

Let's use a tougher issue. What if the Christian emotionally abuses their spouse, parent, or child, for instance. What if they say that they understand their action is sinful, and for whatever reason, have no interest in repenting or changing? Maybe they feel justified by something the other person is doing, or rationalize based on struggles in their life. But they are upset about their actions. They just are not upset enough to work on changing.

Now take that same person and they say that they don't repent, believe there is some rational for their sin, would act the same in the future, BUT have no remorse, sadness, or concern about the effect on their relationship with God. Is there a meaningful difference between the two?

UPDATE

I have been able to repent of the sin. I realized that I had believed I was smarter than God. Instead of waiting for him to provide an alternative solution that wouldn't have required me to lie, I was too anxious to see the issue solved. So, the sin was not only lying, but lack of faith and unbelief.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

We Are Clearly Called to Praise, Ask, and Repent. So Why Don't We?

In my personal walk
and in conversations with others about their spiritual life, I believe
that there is a huge amount of confusion about praising, asking, and
repenting. I have also found that various friends have an easy time
with one or more of the three and also a difficult time with one or
more. Moreover, the difficulty of being effective at any of the
three might change from day-to-day or during various periods in a
lifetime.

For
instance, I have generally enjoyed an easy time with praising during
most of my life, a harder time with asking, and a really hard time with
repenting. More recently I have an easier time asking, commonly forget
to praise, and rarely get around to repenting. Does any of this sound
like you?

This is the part of the 7th chapter in a book that has been created here on this blog. The
book will be available on Amazon.com April 26 under the title God
Called - He Needs Your Decision! This will be the Kindle edition. The
print edition will follow approximately May 15, and the audio is slated
for availability around June 1.

The
rest of this chapter was available free for almost a year, but has now
been removed. It is my hope that you will truly enjoy the book and that
it will bless you. Some have already reported their thoughts about the
book. Early readers report below.

Serious Disciples of Jesus should read God Called - He Needs Your Decision! because, according to one reviewer:

If
a baby were born and failed to thrive, the family would rightly
consider it a great tragedy. When a Christian is born and fails to
thrive, however, many people don’t notice. God Called—He Needs Your
Decision! by Randy Kirk is an invitation to Christians to thrive. It is a
spiritual counterattack to the widespread misconception that “being” a
Christian is a passive state. Randy invites Christians to “do”
Christianity. Katherine Harms, Editor

Are you ready to ratchet up your devotion to God and Jesus to the next level?God Called - He Needs Your Decision! is perfect for you

Do you sometimes feel stuck in your walk and desire to be of greater service?God Called was written for Christians just like you

Are you the first to sign up for any seminar that teaches how to find out God’s will for your life?The pathway to that answer for you is one click away.

God Called is not for the lukewarm - UNLESS you are ready to repent of being lukewarm

God Called is not for the prodigal - UNLESS you are tired of eating with the pigs

God Called is not for pew dusters - UNLESS you are prepared to step outside your comfort zoneHere’s what others are saying:

Even as a Pastor sometimes we can lose focus on what it really is to be a true disciple of Christ.

I would recommend it to any Pastor or leader of a churchGreat Stuff!

Robert HillCore Church Los Angeles

Just
reading the first few pages, God spoke a quick word to me, setting me
free from years of bondage to what people will think of me if I follow
Jesus full out. Using Randy's simple steps of faith, this is a must-read
for your next step in growing in grace.

Cheryl Colwell author The Secrets of Montebellis and The Proof

The Psalmist tells us that deep calls unto deep . . . Take the plunge intothe
River of Life with Randy Kirk's newest book, God Called—He Needs Your
Decision! and drink deep from the well that never runs dry. Find keys
to intimacy with Father, Son, and HolySpirit hidden in plain sight. Come away refreshed and longing for more of Him.

Michael J. Webb, Bestselling Author of The Master's Quilt

God
Called was written specifically for mature Christians who feel they
have not really heard the Lord speak to them. These Christians truly
want to hear the voice of God calling to them with an offer to serve in a
capacity that is outside of their expectations.

Review these questions which might be holding you back from hearing God’s plan for your life:

Jesus says disciples need to carry their cross and follow Him. Can you do that?Jesus said that disciples must hate mother and father (compared to Him) Is that you?Jesus said that disciples must obey what he has commanded. Do you?Jesus said that disciples must give up everything. Are you prepared to do so?Dallas Willard says “very few Christians want to hear what God has to say. Do you?

Here’s
a sample of the impactful words from God Called that have encouraged
readers to take their Christianity to the next level:

Our
Christian walk is always about how much we trust and believe, and
whether we trust God enough to put aside our fear. Each stage of our
maturing in Christ depends on our ability to repent of our unbelief, or
pride, and our idols, and move to the next stage. This is true from our
first profession of faith. It is true when we start each new discipline.
It is true when we become aware of the depths of our sin and mindful of
our need to be continually repenting. It is true when we become willing
to be completely dependent on and open with God—intimate with Him. Then
we must repent of our unbelief again if we are to fully surrender to a
calling.

Don’t put off your decision to move closer to God and
hear His voice. Get your copy of God Called - He Needs Your Decision!
today and get started on a journey that will lead to a fully surrendered
life.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Can You Hear from God if You Are Harboring Unforgiveness

There
are several themes that form the central tenets of the Bible: Love,
redemption, justice, grace, good and evil, and of course, forgiveness.
God establishes the principle of forgiveness by modeling it often in
His own actions, then making it a core principle of what Jesus called
His followers to practice.

God,
thru Jesus, placed a very high value on forgiveness. When we say the
“Lord’s Prayer,” we stop with Matt 6:13. It would seem that possibly
the next verse would be very important to be praying daily, too:

14. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

From
this verse it would appear obvious that God wanted to make absolutely
clear the importance of forgiveness. Certainly the theme is picked up
again and again throughout the New Testament, and the same intensity can
be seen in the parable of the unforgiving servant.

This was the part of 6th chapter in a book that has been created here on this
blog. The
book will be available on Amazon.com April 26 under the title God
Called - He Needs Your Decision! This will be the Kindle edition. The
print edition will follow approximately May 15, and the audio is slated
for availability around June 1.

The
rest of this chapter was available free for almost a year, but has now
been removed. It is my hope that you will truly enjoy the book and that
it will bless you. Some have already reported their thoughts about the
book. Early readers report below.

Serious Disciples of Jesus should read God Called - He Needs Your Decision! because, according to one reviewer:

If
a baby were born and failed to thrive, the family would rightly
consider it a great tragedy. When a Christian is born and fails to
thrive, however, many people don’t notice. God Called—He Needs Your
Decision! by Randy Kirk is an invitation to Christians to thrive. It is a
spiritual counterattack to the widespread misconception that “being” a
Christian is a passive state. Randy invites Christians to “do”
Christianity. Katherine Harms, Editor

Are you ready to ratchet up your devotion to God and Jesus to the next level?God Called - He Needs Your Decision! is perfect for you

Do you sometimes feel stuck in your walk and desire to be of greater service?God Called was written for Christians just like you

Are you the first to sign up for any seminar that teaches how to find out God’s will for your life?The pathway to that answer for you is one click away.

God Called is not for the lukewarm - UNLESS you are ready to repent of being lukewarm

God Called is not for the prodigal - UNLESS you are tired of eating with the pigs

God Called is not for pew dusters - UNLESS you are prepared to step outside your comfort zoneHere’s what others are saying:

Even as a Pastor sometimes we can lose focus on what it really is to be a true disciple of Christ.

I would recommend it to any Pastor or leader of a churchGreat Stuff!

Robert HillCore Church Los Angeles

Just
reading the first few pages, God spoke a quick word to me, setting me
free from years of bondage to what people will think of me if I follow
Jesus full out. Using Randy's simple steps of faith, this is a must-read
for your next step in growing in grace.

Cheryl Colwell author The Secrets of Montebellis and The Proof

The Psalmist tells us that deep calls unto deep . . . Take the plunge intothe
River of Life with Randy Kirk's newest book, God Called—He Needs Your
Decision! and drink deep from the well that never runs dry. Find keys
to intimacy with Father, Son, and HolySpirit hidden in plain sight. Come away refreshed and longing for more of Him.

Michael J. Webb, Bestselling Author of The Master's Quilt

God
Called was written specifically for mature Christians who feel they
have not really heard the Lord speak to them. These Christians truly
want to hear the voice of God calling to them with an offer to serve in a
capacity that is outside of their expectations.

Review these questions which might be holding you back from hearing God’s plan for your life:

Jesus says disciples need to carry their cross and follow Him. Can you do that?Jesus said that disciples must hate mother and father (compared to Him) Is that you?Jesus said that disciples must obey what he has commanded. Do you?Jesus said that disciples must give up everything. Are you prepared to do so?Dallas Willard says “very few Christians want to hear what God has to say. Do you?

Here’s
a sample of the impactful words from God Called that have encouraged
readers to take their Christianity to the next level:

Our
Christian walk is always about how much we trust and believe, and
whether we trust God enough to put aside our fear. Each stage of our
maturing in Christ depends on our ability to repent of our unbelief, or
pride, and our idols, and move to the next stage. This is true from our
first profession of faith. It is true when we start each new discipline.
It is true when we become aware of the depths of our sin and mindful of
our need to be continually repenting. It is true when we become willing
to be completely dependent on and open with God—intimate with Him. Then
we must repent of our unbelief again if we are to fully surrender to a
calling.

Don’t put off your decision to move closer to God and
hear His voice. Get your copy of God Called - He Needs Your Decision!
today and get started on a journey that will lead to a fully surrendered
life.

Wednesday, June 05, 2013

In the spirit of
transparency, I feel the need to express the following. I understand that
many others have come before and will come after who are more qualified and
often better equipped to teach the specific subjects in this work. My
hope is to reach those who might find this book early in their walk, or who
don’t do a lot of reading, or who are in exactly the right place to be
motivated to hear from God in a mighty way. Possibly my synopsis of each
element in this journey might help someone to springboard to a more complete
work on the subject.

Why do I bring that up at
this point? Because one of my heroes of the faith has written so
completely and beautifully on fasting that I find it hard to even start this
chapter. Dr. Bill Bright has been motivating me for years. His
dedication to God is a standard we can all look towards. Among the
multiplied other contributions that he made, he began a movement for fasting, including
leading entire churches to go on 40-day fasts.

Dr. Bright wrote at least four books on fasting
which you may find on Amazon or at other booksellers. So if my words
inspire you to fast, you might want to read one of those four books or at least
refer to his free online short course.

Jesus told His disciples
that some things only come out by prayer and fasting. Mark 9:29. In Matt
6:16 He said “When you fast...” Not if you fast. And yet the church
today seems to think that fasting isn’t important.

This was part of the 6th chapter in a book that has been created here on this
blog. This section has been radically altered in the final version The
book will be available on Amazon.com April 26 under the title God
Called - He Needs Your Decision! This will be the Kindle edition. The
print edition will follow approximately May 15, and the audio is slated
for availability around June 1.

The
rest of this chapter was available free for almost a year, but has now
been removed. It is my hope that you will truly enjoy the book and that
it will bless you. Some have already reported their thoughts about the
book. Early readers report below.

Serious Disciples of Jesus should read God Called - He Needs Your Decision! because, according to one reviewer:

If
a baby were born and failed to thrive, the family would rightly
consider it a great tragedy. When a Christian is born and fails to
thrive, however, many people don’t notice. God Called—He Needs Your
Decision! by Randy Kirk is an invitation to Christians to thrive. It is a
spiritual counterattack to the widespread misconception that “being” a
Christian is a passive state. Randy invites Christians to “do”
Christianity. Katherine Harms, Editor

Are you ready to ratchet up your devotion to God and Jesus to the next level?God Called - He Needs Your Decision! is perfect for you

Do you sometimes feel stuck in your walk and desire to be of greater service?God Called was written for Christians just like you

Are you the first to sign up for any seminar that teaches how to find out God’s will for your life?The pathway to that answer for you is one click away.

God Called is not for the lukewarm - UNLESS you are ready to repent of being lukewarm

God Called is not for the prodigal - UNLESS you are tired of eating with the pigs

God Called is not for pew dusters - UNLESS you are prepared to step outside your comfort zoneHere’s what others are saying:

Even as a Pastor sometimes we can lose focus on what it really is to be a true disciple of Christ.

I would recommend it to any Pastor or leader of a churchGreat Stuff!

Robert HillCore Church Los Angeles

Just
reading the first few pages, God spoke a quick word to me, setting me
free from years of bondage to what people will think of me if I follow
Jesus full out. Using Randy's simple steps of faith, this is a must-read
for your next step in growing in grace.

Cheryl Colwell author The Secrets of Montebellis and The Proof

The Psalmist tells us that deep calls unto deep . . . Take the plunge intothe
River of Life with Randy Kirk's newest book, God Called—He Needs Your
Decision! and drink deep from the well that never runs dry. Find keys
to intimacy with Father, Son, and HolySpirit hidden in plain sight. Come away refreshed and longing for more of Him.

Michael J. Webb, Bestselling Author of The Master's Quilt

God
Called was written specifically for mature Christians who feel they
have not really heard the Lord speak to them. These Christians truly
want to hear the voice of God calling to them with an offer to serve in a
capacity that is outside of their expectations.

Review these questions which might be holding you back from hearing God’s plan for your life:

Jesus says disciples need to carry their cross and follow Him. Can you do that?Jesus said that disciples must hate mother and father (compared to Him) Is that you?Jesus said that disciples must obey what he has commanded. Do you?Jesus said that disciples must give up everything. Are you prepared to do so?Dallas Willard says “very few Christians want to hear what God has to say. Do you?

Here’s
a sample of the impactful words from God Called that have encouraged
readers to take their Christianity to the next level:

Our
Christian walk is always about how much we trust and believe, and
whether we trust God enough to put aside our fear. Each stage of our
maturing in Christ depends on our ability to repent of our unbelief, or
pride, and our idols, and move to the next stage. This is true from our
first profession of faith. It is true when we start each new discipline.
It is true when we become aware of the depths of our sin and mindful of
our need to be continually repenting. It is true when we become willing
to be completely dependent on and open with God—intimate with Him. Then
we must repent of our unbelief again if we are to fully surrender to a
calling.

Don’t put off your decision to move closer to God and
hear His voice. Get your copy of God Called - He Needs Your Decision!
today and get started on a journey that will lead to a fully surrendered
life.